This invention relates to an optical connector which can be disassembled, a disassembling tool for disassembling the optical connector, and a method of using the disassembling tool.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication (JP-B) No. 3354503 discloses an optical connector which can be disassembled and a tool for use in disassembling the optical connector. The optical connector comprises a housing and a ferrule removably attached to the housing. The housing has a pair of locking members. On the other hand, the ferrule has a flange portion. When the ferrule is attached to the housing, the flange portion is located between the locking members to be locked therewith. The ferrule is connected to an optical fiber.
The tool serves to attach and remove the ferrule to and from the housing and is called a ferrule attaching tool. The ferrule attaching tool has a grip portion for an operator to grip, and a pair of elastic clamping members connected to the grip portion and adapted to clamp the ferrule.
In order to remove the ferrule from the housing, the elastic clamping members are inserted inside the locking members to force the locking members outward. As a consequence, the locking members are disengaged from the flange portion of the ferrule. Thereafter, the ferrule is clamped by the elastic clamping members and removed from the housing. In this manner, the optical connector is disassembled. In order to attach the ferrule to the housing, an operation is carried out in the manner reverse to that mentioned above.
With the above-mentioned structure, the ferrule is attached and removed to and from the housing in the state where an optical fiber is protected by the ferrule. Therefore, the optical fiber is prevented from being bent and damaged during attaching and removing operations.
Recently, proposal is made of an optical connector of the type such that an optical fiber is inserted into an aligning member and directly connected to a mating optical connector. The optical connector of the type does not use the ferrule so that the optical fiber may often be bent and damaged.
If the optical fiber is bent and damaged, the optical fiber must be replaced by a new optical fiber. However, an existing connector called a SC (Subscriber Loop system optical fiber Connector) or a MU (Miniature Unit coupling) inherently has a structure which can not be disassembled. Accordingly, the optical fiber can not be replaced.